Cotton: Cotton has been called ‘the universal fibre’. It is one of the most important fibres of all the fibres. It forms the basis of cotton textile industry. Cotton is the leading fibre crop of India. It is known from the writings of Herodotus that cotton has been in use in India since 3000 B.C.
Geographical Conditions of Growth
- Temperature. Cotton needs uniformly high summer temperature between 22°C to 32°C. It requires a warm climate with bright sunshine. Frost is harmful to cotton plants.
- Rainfall. Cotton needs light to moderate rainfall between 50 to 100 cm.
- Irrigation. In arid treas, irrigation is used. It increases the yield per hectare as in Punjab.
- Soils. Cotton grows best on rich, well-drained loamy soils or lava soils.
Types of Cotton:
- The long-staple cotton. This cotton has a length of 25 mm and above.
- The medium staple cotton. This cotton has a staple length between 18 mm to 25 mm.
- The short-staple cotton. This cotton has a fibre length of less than 18 mm.
Area of Cultivation:
Southern India produces more cotton than Northern India. Gujarat is the leading producer of cotton in India with a production of 25% of the total production in the country.
1. Black cotton soil region: This is the chief cotton-growing area of India on the ‘lava soil’ of N.W. Deccan Plateau. Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh are the major cotton-producing states.
2. Red soil region: Medium staple cotton is grown in the red soil areas including the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. The yield is low.
3. Alluvial soil region: Long-staple cotton is grown on the alluvial soils of Northern Plains. The states of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan are the important producers. Punjab has the highest yield per hectare due to its warm climate, fertile soils, and facilities of irrigation.
World Production: The U.S.A. is the leading producer of cotton in the world. China ranks second. India ranks third. Other main producers are Russia, Mexico, Egypt, Sweden, and Pakistan. Egypt is known for long-staple cotton. In the U.S.A., cotton production is decreasing.
